Purity of Snow: Trials of Love
by Kiraichi
Summary: This is my first fan fic from Christmas last year. But it's a Naruto and Hinata fic, it's Winter in Konoha, and Hinata is looking to tell her feelings to Naruto. But what happens after she sees Naruto and Sakura kissing on the bridge? NxH, slight NxS.
1. Ero Sennin I'll get you for this!

DISCLAIMER: I own absolutely none of thee amazing characters from "Naruto" , their rightful owner is Kishimoto Masashi. Bow to his brilliant mind!

We look from high above the clouds of the world down towards five large faces carved in stone. These five faces were the current and former leaders of Konoha, the Village Hidden in the Leaf. A sign swings back and forth on a nearby pub; the writing is in Japanese, so here it is translated:

A NARUTO HOLIDAY SPECIAL

"Purity of Snow: Trials of Love"

The first snowflake floats by the sign, several snowflakes follow as Konoha's snowy season begins anew. Voices come from inside the pub, the commotion seems to get out of hand and tables crash and glass breaks. The boy known as Naruto, in his brand new signature black and orange jump-suit and his trademark spiky blonde hair held up by the Leaf Village headband, came out of the bar dragging his mentor whose face was red and his eyes rolling into the back of his head as he grinned gleefully.

Jiraiya, one of the legendary 3 Sannin of Konoha outfitted in his casual attire along with a huge scroll on his back and long silver hais, laughed with joy as he was dragged along by his pupil. He waved at the pub's entrance, "Alright then Anko kun I'll see you soon!" Another porcelain bowl came flying out of the pub through the curtain and crashed into Jiraiya's head. For the moment Jiraiya only had high blush marks on his face and a huge grin before he lost consciousness from being hit with the bowl in the head.

Naruto continued to drag his master until Jiraiya's dead weight became to much for him. "Ero sennin…" Naruto dropped Jiraiya's body on the ground and tried to catch his breath, "I told you not to mess with Mitarashi san." He leaned forward and placed his hands on his knees to keep him from falling over. Jiraiya unexpectedly stood up in full control of himself except for the lightheaded feeling he had fro too much sake. "AH Naruto! When you understand the mind of a woman, you'll know better. Hee hee hee."

Jiraiya kept his satisfied smile and looked to his exhausted student. "How about we end training for today?" Naruto got up in his face and grasped the hems of Jiraiya's clothing, "You call walking you to multiple pubs and waiting outside for you, training????!!!!" Jiraiya gave him a blank expression while Naruto glared into his sensie's empty eyes. Jiraiya reached his arm around to the back of Naruto's uniform and set him on the ground, "Oh yes, that reminds me…" Jiraiya went into his pockets and rummaged though his scrolls and Bar coupons. He held out a frog shaped ryo bag and handed it to Naruto, "There you are. Now go home." In a simple poof of smoke, Jiraiya was gone, leaving Naruto alone in the chilling wind.

_Ero sennin never gives me this back until the end of the day. And usually, it's empty. Maybe……_ Naruto slowly unzipped the ryo bag, he bit his lower lip in suspense of what he would find. He opened the frogs mouth……a fly flew out and away; the bag was empty. "ERO SENNIN!!!!!!!"


	2. Alone on the Bridge

Naruto walked along the street towards the bridge, which connected to the other side of Konoha. His hands behind his head, he trailed along in a grump, "Lousy Ero Sennin. Using all my ryo then getting away so easily. Man I hate it when he does that! Huh?" Naruto looked ahead towards the bridge where someone caught his eye.

A girl about his age stood as if she had been crying. Her arms were crossed over the edge, her left hand holding a pink blossom with no petals. Her pink hair swayed in the wind as it hung loosely, only held up by her headband on her head.

Her eyes, a deep green, looked down into the water, at the petals that had fallen from their place. She was dressed in a red half-kimono attire, mostly used for training. Her black skirt was small, while she had longer pants that extended down to her knees.

Naruto called out to her, "Sakura chan! Hey!" Naruto delightfully walked over to the kunoichi's side. This was Sakura, Naruto's comrade and fellow team member. For years, she had always been the subject of Naruto's thoughts and feelings, though she had never felt the same way about him. "So, Sakura chan, why are you out here all alone?" Naruto said this with a grin on his face, inwardly hoping that she wouldn't punch him for interrupting her private time.

"Naruto…" Sakura began to speak, but her mind trailed away concentrating on the petals in the water. Naruto looked at Sakura with concern building in his expression, "Sakura…" A cold wind blew past the two ninja, Sakura contracted her body as to keep herself warm, Naruto was warm enough under his usual attire. "How long…how long has it been since Sasuke left?…" Naruto looked down at the boards of the bridge, "It's almost been 2 and a half years Sakura…"

Sakura forced out a low chuckle, "Heh, 2 and a half years? Boy Naruto you're off by some…" she thought to herself and looked up, tears welling in her eyes. _Has it really been so long?_ Her tears overflowed and Sakura put her hands up to her face to hide her sorrow, cold tears dripped from her cheeks.

At the sight of her tears, Naruto moved on instinct, "Sakura chan!" He ran to her side. Immediately, Sakura turned into his arms and quietly sobbed. Naruto stood still surprised by her movements. He slowly moved his arms to cradle her head against is chest.

"Naruto…he's still out there…drifting farther and farther away…" Sakura clenched her fists onto Naruto's jacket, her tears still streaming down her cheeks; she buried her face into his chest muffling her cries. Naruto couldn't answer, he felt a sadness inside of himself as well … he hated to see Sakura crying. All he could do was hold her close and comfort her as much as he could.

A bit always, a girl in a heavy jacket and a bouquet of flowers walked slowly towards the bridge, unbeknownst to her that it was occupied by Sakura and Naruto.

Sakura's sorrowful cries died down in Naruto's caring embrace. She breathed steadily trying to pull herself together, her heart beating gently with Naruto's. Naruto continued to hold her, his arms feeling tired but he would never let go as long as she was still in pain. "Sakura chan…" Sakura lifted her head from Naruto's comfortable chest, "…Naruto…"

Their gaze met almost immediately, Naruto's deep blue eyes stared passionately and delicately into Sakura's gleaming jade green eyes. Naruto made a quick gulp and leaned forward, his lips meeting Sakura's as he gently kissed her. Naruto parted from Sakura's lips to wait for her to react.

Sakura then surprisingly leaned forward and kissed Naruto, their hold on each other lasting longer than the first kiss. Naruto lightly tightened his hold on Sakura's body, while Sakura slid her hands to Naruto's back and she pulled him closer.

Within 50 meters of the bridge's vicinity, a pair of snow boots were rooted into the ground, standing still. A bouquet of flowers fell to the ground, the flowers collapsing amongst each other and separate petals falling to the ground. The girl's white eyes watered and a tear ran down her cheek.

She held her right hand up to her mouth while using her other hand to hold her wrist and stop her from shaking. She had a ninja headband around her neck under the fluff of her winter jacket, she wore dark purple tight pants with pockets to the side for weapons. Her long dark blue hair flowed along her back, soft as silk and straightened to increase length.

She had a light blush in her cheeks even as tears rolled by, her voice quivering, "Na…ru…to…kun…" She closed her eyes and ran the opposite direction of the bridge back towards the village. As she turned to run, her boot accidentally stomped on the bouquet.


	3. Realization and Flowers

Naruto and Sakura continued their kiss until Sakura finally let go. "Naruto….no…..I'm sorry…..I can't." She brought her arms back to her chest and she moved Naruto away from her, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have…..I shouldn't have done that."

Naruto's quiet expression lingered…he had feared for so long that once he expressed his true feelings for Sakura that she would push him away. Though, he understood her reasons perfectly. "Sakura…" he looked up to meet Sakura's eyes again, "…Sasuke will come back one day, and then you can smile again." Naruto pushed a convincing grin onto his face to sheer his teammate up.

Sakura gave Naruto a weak and loving smile, "Naruto…thank you…" She reached out and held Naruto's face as she kissed him on the cheek. "I'll go now…bye…" Sakura straightened herself as she walked past the boy who had crushed on her for so long, and went back to the village.

Naruto couldn't move, he reviewed what had just happened, and how he finally had to accept that Sakura's heart belonged to someone she held very dear to her heart. Naruto smiled, proud that he finally knew the truth, and he walked forward to the other side of the bridge. He looked up and noticed a snowflake fall and land between his eyes. The snow was pleasant, the cold wind blew against him; winter had come to Konoha.

Naruto walked along the rocky path away from the bridge and towards Ichiraku's. Ramen would definitely lift his spirits a little bit. The snow began to rain down lightly, rooftops and gravel developing a thin sheet of snow.

Along his way, Naruto noticed a discarded bouquet of flowers helplessly being assaulted by the snow that threatened to cover their existence. Naruto stepped overhead and shook the snow off the damaged flowers as he picked them up. "Who would throw you guys away so cruelly?" Naruto searched for a card or a note among the flowers. Then deep inside the folds of the bouquet, a small card made its appearance known.

Naruto gently tugged the card out and read the message: "_TO: Naruto ; FROM:_ Hinata" Naruto's eyes almost pooped out of his head! "For m-m-me!" His voice stuttered, "F-f-f-from Hinata?!"


	4. Memories in Tears

The young woman known as Hinata, ran down the street of the Business District of Konoha. She kept her hood closed and tight to her face in order to hide herself from the world. She ran along a wall until she turned into a quiet alley where she stood against the wall and shivered in the cold.

Her pace of breathing was fast now, but in time it would recede. She lowered her hood to reveal a soft red panting face. She looked around the corner and into the alley to make sure noone was around.

Upon the confirmation of her solitude, Hinata slipped to the ground resting on her ankles and put her hands up to her face to muffle a silent cry. Her face contracted as streams of tears came from her eyes, she lifted her knees up to her chest and held them close with her arms; she buried her head into her lap as she let out small moans and cries.

"Naruto-hic-kun…"

She had held on for so long, her feelings for Naruto. She had loved him ever since their childhood. Their time as genin, the Chunnin exams, his battle against Neji (her cousin), their times as teammates…these memories flowed into Hinata's mind, which only increased her streams of tears.

Yet through it all, could she still not match up to Sakura? Had she lost the love of her life because she was too late? "Natu-hic-to kun…-hic- I can't let you go…-hic- at least not without letting you know how I feel -hic-……" Hinata thought for a while, her crying subsiding slowly. "That's -hic- it… I'll tell Naruto how I feel…-hic- and then…and then…-hic-…"


	5. Ichiraku's Noodle Shop

Naruto stumbled across the piling snow and into his favorite ramen restaurant. Upon lifting the small drape that stood for the entrance he called out to the owner, "Hey old man! A quick order of your hottest ramen!" Naruto took a seat on his favorite bar stool, without even looking the chef had already begun preparing Naruto's dish. Naruto's mouth watered as he waited for his ramen bowl.

The chef slid the ceramic bowl across the counter and it conveniently skidded to a stop in front of the eager young man. He took a set of chopsticks, split them apart, leaned over his bowl and……….suddenly sat still.

"What the? I…oh!" Naruto let out a depressed sigh as he put the chopsticks down and leaned back, "Not even ramen can help me this time! I'm so confused!" Naruto moved the ramen bowl aside and placed his elbows on the counter, leaning his head into his hands. What's going on? I can't et her out of my head!" Naruto kept thinking about the bouquet he had found in the snow, and the card addressed t him from none other than Hinata of the Hyuuga clan!

_Why? Why would she get me flowers? Does she…like me? Duh, she usually brings me flowers when I'm in the hospital, but I feel fine. She had the flowers…for me…but there was no real reason. Could she have gotten them just because…-gulp-…she wanted t? But that could mean that she…!!!_

Naruto snapped out of his thoughts, "I've gotta asked her!" Naruto quickly dug under his headband for a Ramen coupon. "Here you go! Thanks! Gotta run!" The coupon floated lazily to the counter, as Naruto turned to leave Ichiraku's. He blindly ran towards the drapes, which led out into the snowy region of the Leaf Village.

**Now here's how the thing works, the drape usually goes down far enough to cover the face of a person if they were just the right height and the person would actually have to look down to see if there was someone on the other side.**

WAM!! As Naruto's head went into the small drape, he hit something incredibly hard, as if there was a wall on the other side and he rammed his head right into it. Naruto flew back onto the counter and lay there for a minute muttering under his breath. "Damn, what the hell did I just hit? He slowly jumped from the counter and looked around to regain his blurred vision.

"Man, I could've gotten a concussion or something. Hey! Who hit me?!" Naruto rubbed his forehead annoyingly, "At least my metal headband took most of the hit. Hey, where are you?!" He walked forward and under the drape. Looking around the perimeter, he aimlessly searched for the thing or person who rammed into his head.

"HEY! You heard me! Who hit m-?" At that moment Naruto's foot hit something as he walked along. Looking down curiously he wanted to confirm what he walked into.

"GAAH! AH! AH! Ah!!" Naruto's face went into that of shock and extreme fear. Laid across the ground in the snow was the frail body of Hyuuga Hinata, her face paralyzed in a surprised and dazed expression. "Hi-Hi-Hi-Hi-na-na-na-ta-ta???!! Oh man! What do I? What do I do? The one girl in Konoha who could possibly like me and I knock her out!! Okay this is bad! Really bad!"

At once Naruto knelt down and placed his arm behind Hinata's head, having her neck rest in the dip of his elbow. He then placed his arm under her knees and got up easily equalizing her weight distributions between each arm. "Hang on, Hinata. I'm gonna take you somewhere … inconspicuous until you wake up." Naruto held her close, while slightly feeling a blush in his face, and he turned down the road to head for his home.

_Its warm……-_lub dub_- -_lub dub_- -_lub dub_-……a thumping?……-_lub dub- -lub dub- _……no……-_lub dub_-……a heartbeat…but……who…?_


	6. True Confessions, Everlasting Love

_Who was that? That heartbeat? …It was calm, yet… nervous… oh my head hurts…_

Hinata's eyes opened slightly and fluttered like wings as she opened them to see where she was… there was a fire… then a fireplace… a set of stairs, a coffee table with one chair, a rather small kitchen and a steaming pot on the stove… Hinata's eyes finally opened to see the faint figure sleeping in front of her. "Naruto? -gasp- Naruto!" She quickly sat up and stared at Naruto, who was sleeping in a chair facing her. She continued to analyze her surroundings to find out where she was. She was sitting on a couch with a blanket around her; her jacket was hung on the coat hanger next to the door. "This…must… be Naruto's home. But what am I doing here?"

Naruto's eyes blinked open and he saw Hinata awake. "Oh, Hinata chan!" Naruto shook his head awake, "Heh, um… I can explain…" Naruto gave Hinata a nervous grin. She turned her head in curiosity. "You see, um, I was at Ichiraku's and…"

Memories flushed into Hinata's head almost immediately! She saw Naruto kissing Sakura, she was heartbroken and ran away… then she was alone thinking to herself… and she saw Naruto at Ichiraku's! She was walking up to him when… she blacked out. "Naruto…" Hinata looked down to her lap.

"Huh? Hinata?" Naruto blinked and slightly tilted his head nervously.

"Did I … hurt you?" Hinata silently grasps the blanket around her in suspense. If she had hurt Naruto, she could never forgive herself.

"Hurt me? Oh no! No no no no no no no no no! Hinata … you didn't hurt me, but uh …… I do have something to confess…" Naruto cupped his hands and twiddled his fingers. "You were walking towards Ichiraku's and I was leaving when … I kinda rammed my head into you … " Sweat formed on Naruto's head, his own suspense taking over him. "You've been knocked out for a couple of hours now."

Hinata processed the new information that Naruto presented. She remembered seeing Naruto at Ichiraku's … he said something … "I've gotta ask her!" Hinata repeated these words her head. Suddenly her expression became depressed, her hands hung lazily and her head hung in shame. Hinata quickly got out of the couch and made a dash for the door! "Hinata!" Naruto got up as fast as he could and followed her.

Hinata turned the knob and pulled the door open, but Naruto closed it shut. "Wait Hinata!" Hinata stepped back and suddenly swung her hand at Naruto's face! Naruto caught her hand before she slapped him. Hinata swung her other hand and attempted another slap, but he caught that hand too, Naruto held them still keeping her from running off.

"Hinata wait! I have to talk to you!" Naruto etched this out as Hinata persistently struggled against Naruto's grip.

"Naruto let go! I understand everything now! I'll stop everything! I'll stop!" Hinata shook her head back and forth as she struggled. Tears filled her eyes and soft cries escaped her.

"Hinata … what are you talking about?" Naruto attempted to hold her still so he could understand every single word she said.

"I knew that I could never match up to Sakura! If you were in love with her, how could you ever fall in love with me?! Why did I always admire you so much?! Why did I pine for you ever since we were Genin? And then you leave for 3 years and come back and somehow I still cared for you! And you probably never me as anything but a weird, weak, inward-! Her emotional rampage stopped, as Naruto's warm lips gently sealed Hinata's mouth as he kissed her into submission!

Hinata's arms were deprived of all will to move, her body was easily seduced by Naruto's kiss which she had wanted to feel for so long. Naruto's own grasp around her wrists relaxed as she lowered her hands to her side. All of Hinata's emotions raced across her head; there was joy, happiness, suspense, love, kindness, then fear and doubt. _Why is he kissing me? I thought he…oh … don't complain…_

Naruto's lips slowly parted from Hinata, her face almost in full shock as to what Hinata had just done. A significant thought crawled into Naruto's head before quickly being assaulted by his severely mixed feelings ……… _I'm in love with her ………_

Hinata's soft white eyes only stared at Naruto in amazement …… Naruto had never noticed such beauty before in her eyes … … in her face … her whole being … this was the girl that just admitted to liking him since childhood … how could her have been blind to her angelic presence around him?

"Naruto kun …" Hinata's heart could barely keep up with her breathing pattern, her face burned a hot red, being so close to her love and having him actually kiss her was almost too much for her.

"Hinata … I finally see the real you … you are beautiful. It's not true, what you said. Grant it, you are a little weird and inward … but you're not weak. Hinata, you are the strongest person I know. It kinda shows considering what you just said." Naruto constantly stared into Hinata's eyes as he spoke to her.

"But …-gulp- … today … I saw you … Sakura … at the bridge …" Hinata couldn't keep her head up as she looked down in despair at her bare feet.

"Sakura was sad … so as a good friend and teammate I went to help her. But … I guess I finally realized that Sakura could never love me. Her heart belonged to Sasuke. I couldn't change. She left … and I kept walking …" Naruto then looked up like he had remembered something. He gently let go Hinata's hand and searched his left pocket, retrieving an ornamented card, "… and I found this." Naruto held out the card he had found with the bouquet out in the snow.

Hinata blushed at the sight of the card, "That … is…" She bit her lip in an attempt to not be embarrassed. Naruto had found her bouquet to him … boy this is awkward.

"For some reason … you -chuckle- got me flowers." Naruto flipped the card so he could see it. "This card opened my mind to a new band of thoughts. I researched the way you interacted with me over the years … since we were Genin and all … and I realized … you liked me." Naruto dropped the card and lifted Hinata's chin with his thumb and fore finger, "I had to ask you … …I had to ask … if I was too late to like you back." Naruto finished and searched Hinata's eyes for an answer.

_Naruto … likes me?_ _Oh Naruto! What should I say? How do I accept you into my heart after so long? Shall I question fate? …………_Hinata spoke in a low quiver, "Naruto kun…" She paused; Naruto prepared himself for the worst.

"………………You'll never be too late!" Hinata escaped Naruto's loose grip on her wrist and swung her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her lips where she kissed him as passionately as she could in the heat of the moment! Naruto's worries disappeared as he, at once, embraced Hinata as tight as he could and returned her intoxicating kiss.

Naruto began to loose his balance; he walked backwards towards the couch, never once parting the moment with Hinata. He finally turned Hinata towards the couch so that her back was to the comfy furniture. The edge of the sofa seat nudged Hinata in the back of the knee, causing her to fall on top of the couch.

Hinata plopped down holding Naruto's neck, thereby bringing him on top of her. Naruto supported himself above her, as to not lay on her with his full body weight on her wondrous body. Their kiss finally parted, their breathing pace quickening and their faces a dark red.

Hinata joyfully smiled, "I have cared for you for so long … and …" Her eyes dropped to the side.

"What?" Naruto asked.

"How can I believe that this is not just a wonderful dream? Just my imagination … from a concussion … all a dream…" Hinata leaned her head to the side and looked towards the fire.

Naruto thought to himself for a bit, then he snapped back to reality, "I know just the thing. Heh heh heh." Naruto gave a mischievous grin. He knelt his head down and bit her exposed neck, which had been calling his name from bellow.

Hinata's head suddenly snapped back up, a shivering and yet pleasant sensation shot down her back and infected her whole body. "NARUTO!" She managed to gasp out her loves name before quietly moaning next to his ear. Her nails grated into Naruto's back powerfully enough to pierce his jacket and undershirt. She had never felt anything like it in her life!

As for Naruto, he had never heard his name called out like that in his life! He hissed as he inhaled at the sting of her ten fingers on his back. That felt so dam good! Hinata's grapple loosened as she panted heavily under the warmth of Naruto's body.

"Naruto … -gasp gasp- I love you." She pressed her hand against his body to find his heartbeat, it was so fast she could feel it even pumping out through his skin. She blushed and looked at Naruto's eyes.

"Hinata …" Naruto couldn't breathe! She loved him! This was definitely not a dream or some freakingly powerful genjutsu! She just dug her nails into his back, gasped his name, and said she loved him! Naruto held her chin again and looked into her as if he could see into her very soul, " … I love you, too."

Naruto then leaned down and kissed Hinata as deeply as he could. Hinata raised her head off the couch to meet him and kiss; her hands ran along his muscular back and wrapped around his neck again, while Naruto's hands crept behind her back and followed the curves of her beautiful body.

The kiss was everlasting … nothing else mattered in their world … it was just them … finally finding their true love … a never ending passion … a love as pure and innocent as the snow that covered Konoha in its cold embrace.

The snow drifted slowly as Konoha became smaller and smaller as the clouds soared in the dark night sky.

THE END………………?


End file.
